AddisonMysteryChapter3
by Xpertlazeeboi
Summary: Someone has followed the three friends into the apartment and means to stop them from uncovering the truth.


The next day was calm and happy. Soda wanted to go to the park. Larry took her and Sal stayed in the hotel. Todd sat at the kitchen table and dealt with Maple and Chugs last will and personal things. He wondered why this had to happen to his friends. He shuffled up the papers belonging to Chug when he noticed a letter. No, it wasn't a letter. It was a page from a diary. Todd began to read it.

Nov. 2. That bastard priest came to visit today. He asked me if Soda was well and if I decided to finally "cleanse your soul in His house". I told him I wouldn't go to his church if it were the last one on Earth! I told him to leave or I'd call the cops on him for harassment. He just laughed in my face! He said no one would suspect him because he's so "holy". Holy my ass. Travis thinks he's so great because people respect his position. Well, he'd better think again. He ought to-

The entry stopped mid sentence. Todd's eyes began to water. November 2 was two days ago. The murder was two days ago. These were his last words. Todd tried to fight back his tears, but failed. His sobbing woke Sal up from his nap. Sal walked into the kitchen and put his hand on Todd's shoulder. "Hey, you alright?" he asked, softly. Todd shoved the paper in front of him. Sal picked it up and read it. "Travis went to see him?" "Yes, he did," cried Todd. "He said Travis wouldn't leave him alone. He kept going after Chug for not going to church on Sundays." Sal thought for a moment. Just then, Larry and Soda opened the front door. "We're hooooome!" Soda ran to her room to change out of her dirty clothes. Larry went into the kitchen. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Look what we found," said Sal. "Chugs last journal entry."

"Woah dude, I didn't know he kept a diary. What's it say?" asked Larry.

"Basically, he gave us a clue. He points out that Travis visited him on the day of the murder. And it wasn't a very nice conversation." Sal said.

Larry's jaw dropped. "For real? That creep?" Sal nodded. "Looks like someone has a few questions to answer," said Larry. He was ready to tar and feather the faker for coming near his friend. "Hold it dude, we don't have any evidence!" Sal said. Larry disagreed. "Oh yes we do man, ya know how Travis always has that cross necklace?" Todd raised an eyebrow. "You mean that silver one? He wears it, like, 24/7?" he asked. "That's the one. Guess what I found?" He held up the pendant. Both Sal and Todd stared. "How?" asked Sal, incredulously. Todd stood up. "I thought Travis was on a mission." Sal scratched his head. "There's no way he could have come back early." It didn't make sense. Not at all. Larry suddenly got an idea. "Hey. Let's go back to the apartment tonight and snoop around." "What for?" Asked Todd. Sal piped up. "I think I know. To see if the murderer returns to the scene of the crime."

Later that night, the three friends went to the apartment. Soda stayed at the motel with a babysitter. After scanning the first and second floors, all were giving up hope. Sal suggested they all try the third floor and that if they didn't find anything, they would stop for the night. It was an agreeable deal and they pressed on.

On the third floor, the friends decided to split up. Sal, Larry and Todd went in diffeeent directions. Sal went into the room of Mr. Addison himself. The room was unexpectedly bare. Aside from the few wires connecting the wall to a phone and a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. "Huh. So much for home decor." He laughed to himself. It was his first laugh since that awful day. He suddenly felt uneasy. Like someone was watching him. Sal looked over his shoulder. Nothing. Suddenly, the door behind him slammed shut. Sal ran to the door and tried the knob. "It...it's locked!" He banged on the door and called out. "Hey!!! Larry! Todd! Help! The door is locked! Let me out!" He opened the mail slot in the door and yelled through it. "Help me!! Hey! Larry!!!"

Todd, who was at the opposite side of the hallway, failed to hear Sal's cries for help. He was too busy trying to not get scared. He was in a room where someone died. Murderer. The killer is still at large. He felt like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Scared almost out of his mind. "It'll be fine." He told himself. "Maybe he won't come back. Maybe he already came back and he's gone for good." He stopped. "What am I saying? We gotta get this guy. If not, one of us might be mistaken for the killer." He gulped. The room he was in was eery and cold. The bedroom was covered in red paint. Only it wasn't paint. Todd knew this but didn't want to think about it.

Larry was exploring a hallway that felt different. It smelled different too. Like that Mr. Clean stuff. Clean. That was what was different. Everything smelled like it had just been cleaned. At first Larry thought the police were doing it. But the investigation was still going on. Larry couldn't figure it out. Then, it hit him. The killer. The_ killer _was doing it. It had to be! Larry turned and ran back to where the friends first split up. He got out his phone to text Todd and Sal to meet him when he saw the WiFi status. "No signal?" Shoot. Larry tried to remember which direction his friends went. One went to the left, the other went to the right. He knew that. It wasn't hard to figure that out, but who went where? He figured if he tried one hallway, he'd find one of them. Larry looked down the right hallway. It was dark and kind of gloomy. He looked down the other hallway. It was dark too, but not as creepy looking as the other one. He'd start there. It was when he got halfway he heard a faint murmur. Larry whipped his head to what used to be Mr. Addison's place. Who was there? He tried the knob. It was jammed. Larry took a few steps back and rammed through the door. Pieces of the door went flying. "Huh. Cheap door." Mumbled Larry. He turned on the flashlight on his phone and looked around. He saw Sal sprawled out on the floor. Half of his mask was missing. Broken bits of ceramic where everywhere. It wasn't the mask that shocked Larry, however. It was the fact that Sal had a huge gash on his temple. "Shit shit shit! Sal! Wake up! Are you ok??" Larry fell to his knees and took off his sweatshirt. He rolled it up into a pillow and gently slid it under Sal's head. "Nnnnnnuh." Sal groaned. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Larry staring down at him with worry in his eyes. "Larry? Whah happened?" "Shh, take it easy," cooed Larry. "I found something really big in the hallway I went down in. Someone is going through and wiping away evidence right under the noses of those cops!" Sal went to sit up, but Larry kept him down. "Who did this to you?" Asked Larry. "I...I dunno. Th' door closed behind me and locked. I screamed for you guys but you couldn't hear me. Later, someone opened the door. I thought it was you or Todd. Whoever it was threw me against the wall and said no one was getting out alive. He musta thought I was dead cuz he left laughing to himself." "He?" said Larry. "That means a dude did this. At least we got gender down." Larry suddenly went pale. "Wait a sec. He means to kill us! That means Todd is also danger!"

Larry left Sal in Mr. Addison's room and closed the door just in case the killer decided to walk that way again. He ran down the hallway to the one he avoided the first time. "Todd! Todd!" he yelled. No answer. He called for his friend again. This time, he heard someone. Todd was screaming for help. Larry traces his voice to a dingy looking room soaked in blood. It was dimly lit but Larry could see that Todd was fighting someone. And losing. Larry picked up a broken table leg and went towards the assailant. "Hey! Dumbass! Yeah, I'm talking to you! Leave him alone or else!" The stranger stood up and let Todd fall to the floor. "Hello, Larry." said the figure. How did he know Larry's name? Was this someone he knew? No. It couldn't be Travis, thought Larry. He was away remember? He stood there as if in a trance trying to match the voice with its owner when he suddenly found himself leaning against a wall. His makeshift weapon broken in half. The stranger ran down the hall and out of sight before Larry could see who it was.

Todd crawled over to Larry. "You ok, Lar?" He asked. "Yeah...I'm fine." He stood up. "I found Sal. He's in Mr. Addison's old room. Beat up pretty bad." Todd gasped. "Is he..." Larry knew what he was trying to ask. "No, he isn't. But if we don't get him to the hospital soon, he won't make it. C'mon." Todd and Larry went back to Mr. Addison's and carried Sal to the lobby and to the front steps just outside the door. Larry called a cab and got Sal to the hospital.


End file.
